


Wonders on the Forest Trek

by LadyNoirElf



Series: Father's of Thra. [2]
Category: The Dark Crystal (1982), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Father's Day, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Illustrations, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:33:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24846106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyNoirElf/pseuds/LadyNoirElf
Summary: Jen and Rian have a fun day on their little hike in the woods outside of the "Stonewood" village.
Relationships: Deet & Rian (Dark Crystal), Deet/Rian (Dark Crystal), Stonegrot
Series: Father's of Thra. [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1797319
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	Wonders on the Forest Trek

**Author's Note:**

> A Father's day special for one of my favorite couples, the Stonegrot couple.  
> Also, come say hello on Tumblr to check out more Dark Crystal Illustrations: https://ladynoirelf.tumblr.com/

Rian smiled triumphantly with his hands on his hips.

Admiring the shared handiwork of the lunch basket that he and his son had put together.

Inside the basket were six sandwiches, decrustfied and surprisingly neat looking based on the fact it was a childling who made them. A pouch of peach berries, roasted seasoned vegetables Rian had sauteed, and a couple of pastries.

“What do you think, Jen? Think we did a pretty good job”? Rian asked. Looking down at his five trine son at his side, laughing and clapping as he nodded vigorously.

“Yeah, we did”. Rian answered for him, rustling Jen’s hair.

“Let's get this ready for travel and head out to meet mummy”.

Today, Deet would be coming home after her yearly visit to Dormak. 

With Jen still being too young to make the three-day journey, Rian would stay behind with their son for the week. This time, with Jen being older and more stable on his legs. Rian decided to meet Deet halfway of her trip at the crossroad. Instead of her making the trek all the way back home by herself.

Rian thought of making Lunch for him and Jen to have while they waited and packed a little extra just in case Deet was hungry upon her arrival.

He was midway in preparing the meal when Jen came in, asking sweetly if there was anything he could do to help. Rian, thinking that it was safe and less messy for him to do, put him on sandwich duty while he roasted the vegetables. 

Now, with lunch done and the estimated time drawing close, Rian finished tucking a blanket into the basket. He lifted it a little to test the weight.

Perfect.

No to heavy to lug around for the next thirty minutes.

“Alright looks like we're ready to go”. Rian looked back down at his eagerly awaiting son “You ready for an adventure”?

“Yeah”! Jen cheered. Rushing ahead of his father to the front door. He stood on the tips of his toes to reach for his traveling coach hanging from the built-in coat rack. His fingertips brushing the ends of the green fabric.

He gripped the ends and began to tug.

“Woah,woah,woah easy son”. Rian came from behind to take both Jen and his own cloak off their respective hooks. “No need to pull on it”.

He placed the basket on the shoebox to kneel in front of Jen. He wrapped the small cloak around the childling’s shoulders. Fastening the Stonewood emblem pen to secure it.

“There we are” Rian smoothed out the fabric “Now you're ready to face the world”. He praised, pulling the hood over his Jen’s head. 

“Who’s my brave boy”? 

“I am”! Jean beamed, pointing his thumb to his chest.

“Yes you are” Rian ‘booped’ his child’s nose before standing to put on his own cloak.

Putting the basket on his arm, he took Jen’s hand in his and headed out the door.

Jen clung to his father's free hand as they walked out the gates of the "Stone in the wood" Village. He had never ventured outside this far before. His parents forbade him from going anywhere without them. 

Like a good boy, he did what he was told.

So this was all very new to him. The trees that were tall like a Titan. The different flowers that were far prettier than the floor weeds going up the side of his cottage. And the odd-looking animals that were so much weird compared to the fluffy fizzgig.

Jen's childlike Wonder with only fed as they headed deeper into the woods.

"What's that”? Jen pointed to an odd-looking creature that was hopping across the forest floor.

“ A MudHopper. Must have come from the river. They like to play in the mud and hop around all the time”. Rian answered, still walking “Keep up with me Jen, I don't want you getting lost again”.

“Is that why they call them that”?

“Yep, and that little thing right there is a leaf dancer. They don't really dance much, but they do like to spin in circles”. Rian pointed to a fairy-like creature that spun over them.

“ It looks more like a mama”. Jen giggles, thinking of his mother doing aerial spins.

“ Does it now? I'm sure she'll be happy to hear that”. Rian said.

The two continued walking, Jen sometimes pointing to objects or animals asking along the way asking Rian what they were. 

With Rian always having fun yet informative answers.

When they arrived at the crossroads, Rian set the basket down on a stone bench placed at the side of the road. Unfurling the blanket from the basket and spreading it down on the bench. 

As his father set up, Jen’s eyes fell to a familiar-looking plant peeking from the shrubbery. He walked over, leaving his father’s side, to investigate. He pushed the obscuring flora aside to reveal a yellow closed-bell shaped flower.

His eyes sparkled in curious excitement.

“Da!Da!Da”! He called.

Rian, thinking his son was in danger dropped a utensil rushing to see his son pointing giddily at a plant. 

“Look Da, Belllac flowers”. Jen Grinned

“Bell-wha flowers”?

Rian allowed his son to pull him off the road into the clear patch. He crouched to his child's level to inspect the unfamiliar flower. He had never seen this plant before, probably because he never really spent much time exploring the forest’s flora when he was a child, or at all in his adult years.

“Belllac flower, Auntie Brea showed me a picture once and Kira showed me to eat them”.

“ _ Eat _ them”? Rian tilted his head in curiosity “You can eat these”.

“Yeah, they have milk inside of them. Here look”. Jen pulls two of the flowers from their stem, handing one to Rian.

The flower felt slightly heavier than we had expected. Like he was holding a little pouch than one little flower.

"so you grab the end like this”. Jen grabbed the small stem at the bottom of the flower. Rian mimicked his son's movement.

“Like this”?

“Yeah like that. Then you pull gently like this”. Jen slowly pulls the stem. As he pulled, the flower slowly opened up to have creamy white nectar slowly dripping from the side.

“Now, we can eat it”!

“ And you're sure that this is okay to eat”? Rian question, eyeing the nectar suspiciously.

“ Mm-hm, Kira and Uncle Kylan showed me how. Oh, but you have to be careful or it will make your clothes all sticky”. Jen warned “ I like to eat it the fizgig way”.

“ what's the fizgig way”?

Jen stuck his tongue into the nectar. Lapping it up as a fizgig would drink water from a bowl.

Trusting his son, and knowing that Kylan did this before him, Rian copied Jen’s movement. Sticking his tongue inside of the bell-shaped flower, he began to lap up the nectar.

It was so sweet, sweeter than any treat he had ever had.

“ Am I doing this right”? he asked, though with his tongue still out it sounded like “ampth a duoin at aight”?

Jen looked quizzically at his father “ what”?

“Em aphing es a boboin di bite”  _ I am asking if I am doing this right. _

“Da, you cannot speak with your tongue out”. 

“Bye nan”?  _ Why not? _

“Da, put your tongue back in your mouth ”. Jen snickers

“ blah blah blah blah blah blah blah”.

Jen burst out laughing as Rian continued to bable with his tongue still in the nectar. Wanting in on the fun, Jen stuck his tongue back out into his own floral cup.

“Tath iz tho bibbby” _ This is so silly.  _ Jen laughed.

“Hou thok tho bibb”  _ You look so silly.  _ Rian joked _. _

The two continued to have a babbling conversation, neither knowing what the other was saying throughout. 

The second brother was nearly setting, signaling the arrival of the evening very soon. Jen sat next to his father on The Stone bench, who was drifting into a nap as they had finished their meal”. 

Now he was playing, or in his mind studying, a blade of grass When he heard trilling above him. Jen looked to see a family of birds trilling in their nest. He easily spotted the male with his elaborate features compared to his plain-looking female mate. Jen watched as the male offered its mate a twig lined with berries. The male held the twig as the female ate the berries one by one. Jen pulled on his father's sleeve to grab his attention.

“Da what's that bird doing”? Rian opened an eye, looking to where his son was pointing.

“He's feeding his mate son”.

“Why? Can't she hunt herself"?

“I’m sure she can, perhaps she is sitting on an egg”.

“An egg? like the ones we have back home”?

“ Yes, but this one has a baby inside of it. The mummy bird has to sit on the egg to keep it warm and safe. So she can't leave, so the daddy goes to get food for her so she doesn't starve”.

“Oh” Jen looked to see the male bird nuzzling his mate. “Did mummy have to sit on me when I was an egg”?

Rian chuckled at the innocent and cute question. “No, you were in her tummy”.

He poked Jen’s stomach, who looked mortified “ she ate me”?!

“No” he chortled “you were put there”.

“Ooohhhhh...how”?

Rian stiffened, _ yesmit  _ he walked right into that one. Jen looked up at his father, waiting for his question to be answered.

“W-Well...You see...um… That’s uh-”

“Mummy”!

Jen jumped off the bench to run to his smiling approaching mother. Rian sighed in relief, oh how we love Deet arriving at the perfect time. 

_ That's a conversation that can wait for another ten trine.  _ He thought. Welcoming his wife and a warm embrace. Sitting her on the bench, the family of three enjoyed each other’s company until the final sun began to set for the day.

Jen walked back to his home with his hands in each of his parent's. Looking forward to coming back to learn even more great things.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
